Sails

The mizzen tops'l. This is the reason Rose is a full-rigged ship instead of a barque. Some said it was the first time the mizzen tops'l had been set all year. It was remarkably easy to brace around during a tack. Here it is braced sharp on a starboard tack. The spar that holds the bottom corners (clews) of the mizzen tops'l is called the cro'jack.

The sails are braced for a starboard tack. If you were going aloft, you'd climb up the starboard (windward) lower shrouds to the fighting top (so called because marines would be stationed there with the purpose of sniping officers of enemy ships during engagments). From there you'd step to the windward edge of the fighting top and ascend the topmast shrouds to the crosstree where you'd ascend the windward t'gallant shrouds to the top. The sail furled against the mast is a staysail. The horizontal lines between the port and starboard shrouds are cranelines - another flavor of foot rope used to furl staysails and allow crew to move between port and starboard shrouds.

The main mast. The t'gallant and tops'ls are set and the course is stowed (harbor furl). The main staysail is visible in the lower right. The short lengths of line hanging from the face of the topsail are reef points used to shorten sail in high winds.

The fore mast. Course, tops'l, and t'gallant all set.

Back